The Melbourne lord mayor, Nicholas Reece, has been pilloried online after posting what appeared to be AI-generated images of proposed parks in the city containing AI-like features like lifeless bodies, extra limbs and floating objects.
On Sunday, Reece, who is running to be re-elected mayor in October’s Victorian council elections, tweeted four images alongside a pledge to build 28 new parks in Melbourne if successful in his bid.
Users on X noticed, however, that the images contain errors normally associated with generative AI images.
This is what they want to see on our streets https://t.co/fg8OmRK4EC pic.twitter.com/JRSZ97ZT1K
— John Delmenico (@thebigjohnnyd) September 23, 2024
they got that shoe from Nope pic.twitter.com/ZK8yffJ5S3
— crumpet man’s thinker (@fileunderkris) September 23, 2024
This little old man in a t shirt dress with three conjoined legs is very odd. pic.twitter.com/BokXzZNnCQ
— 🏝🏖⛱Dawnos61 (@sunnytimes33) September 23, 2024
I’d be seeing a doctor pic.twitter.com/Fv4NhDrACP
— Alex Johnston (@swegen31) September 23, 2024
“Sir, why is there a dead body in your pictures,” one user asked.
“Is this after the nukes hit Melbourne, nature takes it back, and only the mutants survive?” asked another.
Others labelled the images “deeply disturbing” and an “AI fail”.
“Do you not have enough money to pay concept artists?” another asked.
A Herald Sun article about the announcement states Reece has promised 10 new parks and fast-tracking 18 green spaces across the Melbourne CBD, Kensington, Southbank and North Melbourne.
The images used in the article credit Hassell Architects. Guardian Australia sought comment from Hassell Architects.
In one image, a man with a distorted body lies lifeless near a playground with children around him. In another, a woman stands in front of a shoe balancing on its toe, while a man stands at attention nearby staring into space.
Reece responded to the online reaction by jokingly posting a photoshopped image including a robot, a black panther and a flying car.
I see there's a bit of commentary about the renders for the 28 new parks I'll get built if I'm re-elected Mayor.
— Nick Reece (@Nicholas_Reece) September 23, 2024
You guys should've seen the originals! pic.twitter.com/GcpihfFiYW
“You guys should’ve seen the originals!” he joked.
There are no rules around the use of AI image generation in elections in Australia. The independent senator, David Pocock, this month called for AI deepfakes – that is videos or images pretending to be someone – to be banned prior to the next election.
In making the argument, Pocock posted a video containing deepfakes of Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton on his social media pages.
Pocock was subsequently told by Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta that the posts were allowed to remain online because Pocock had identified in the videos that they were deepfakes.
Nine News came under fire in January after a news bulletin graphic was edited in Photoshop to make the Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell’s outfit appear more revealing. The company blamed “automation” in Photoshop for the error, but Adobe said human intervention would have been required.
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has warned parliament in a submission to its AI in society inquiry that the increased use of AI tools could, if left unchecked, “lead to a loss of jobs and the degradation of conditions in creative and journalistic work.”
Post ballots for the Victorian council elections will be sent out in early October, with votes due to be mailed back by Friday 25 October 2024. The results will be declared on 15 November. Reece was appointed lord mayor in Melbourne after Sally Capp resigned in March from the role she had held for six years.
